Helping to prevent roll-overs

[vanes]

I own a Kubota 3130HST and one of the things I use it for is cutting grass. Due to the steep slope, cutting grass on the backside of my pond dam has become a concern. I am looking at buying a Slope Degree Indicator used to show degree of angle, slope or tilt. Can anyone help me find out what the tilt limit degree is on my tractor.
Also can anyone help me find out what the A.N.S.I. standard is for the tilt limit on tractors made or sold in the U.S..

 

[RonR]

I'm not against having a tilt meter, but I do question how you would use it. And by the time you've gone too far--you've gone too far!

I worked a buddy's sloping yard to til up some dirt and replant his grass. There were lots of ruts in it from rain washouts. Drop the down hill side in one of those and the PPF (Personal Pucker Factor) would go off the charts!

While working this ground, I had the FEL literally skimming the ground to keep that weight as low as possible. I ran tractor as slow as I could operate it.

Still a few times when I was negotiating to turn around, I had one rear wheel rise off the ground starting a tip over. PPF went up like crazy.

Once, which especially scared me, this happened and I was in a position that it was extremely difficult for me NOT to stop the pressure I was placing on the hydro pedal. In essence, I was HELPING the tractor to roll by not being able to change the pressure my foot was exerting--due to the tipping movement of the tractor. I've thought about this scenario a lot since it happened!

For one, I won't work a sloped area like that ever again--just not worth it to me. I will probably buy a set of ag tires/wheels and have them filled to lower the CG some more. And I never operate the FEL without the BB or tiller on the 3PH.

Stay safe.
Ron

 

[ronjhall]

vanes
Welcome to TBN. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
There is a Tilt Meter that has been discussed quite a bit on TBN. Check this thread out. Click Here It will lead you to other threads.
I have one and look at it when I feel uncomfortable with the angle of my tractor. It's always in the warning area when I look. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[JimR]

One thing to always remember is to keep weight on the 3ph and keep the bucket low. Pucker factor must ran amuck here as I had quite a few on moday moving wood in my backyard. The best way to prevent a roll over is to stay on flat ground. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bird]

Click here to go to the article listed on TBN's home page about the tiltmeter, and if you have any questions, contact Rick at R & B Manufacturing. I had two on my last tractor; one front to rear and one side to side.

 

[NIXON]

Vanes . Welcome to TBN !
No doubt I'll get slammed for this . But I don't see the need for a tilt meter . In My way of thinking , You have no way of Knowing how far is too far as far as tilt .
I doubt that once you start to feel the discomfort of tilting Too far that You'd even glance at the meter . You'd be looking for obstacles ,etc.. In My way of thinking a tilt meter wont do you much good untill You've found out how far NOT to go . JMHO, John

 

[Henro]

Vanes,

If you find a written standard that states angles that a tractor can be safely used on, do let us know. I doubt you will...this kind of data just does not seem to be out there.

You can measure the angle of your slopes. A tilt meter is probably most useful to those that are on unfamiliar territory. Still, it can't hurt to own one.

For me, 20 degrees is more than I like to be sideways on on my B2910 Kubota. It just does not feel good. Period. But in my gut I really feel that I could be sideways on a 30 degree slope with my loaded tires if I was real careful and went real slow. But I don't have a reference point. I don't want to take my tractor to the limit and roll it to find out. Too expensive...me that is...and so is the tractor.

But slopes themselves do not tell the whole story. There are dynamic considerations that change the equation anyway. A hole on the low side or a bump on the high side when you are moving changes the situation considerably. The "safe slope" now becomes a very dangerous one.

I doubt you will find a warm and fuzzy answer to your question. You can probably cross a 20 degree slope at reasonable speed safely, but who can tell anyone that for sure? One hole, one bump, one stump...and all bets are off.

That being said, I think Powertrac is one of the rare manufacturers that does certify some of their tractors for use on steep slopes, something like 40 or 45 degrees on a couple models.

My smaller BX Kubota with front and rear tires loaded and the relatively heavy MMM on it feels much more stable on the 20 degree slopes, when sideways than the bigger tractor does. I am still trying to figure out how to tell if this is an illusion, however.

Frankly, the best way to prevent a rollover is to be aware of the dangers and try to avoid them. You can roll a tractor on flat ground too...this is the way I look at it anyway, and what I try to do myself...

 

[theboman]

I busted my Tilt Meter, gotta get aother (sapplings will slap ya upside the head and tilt meter). I haven't really been where I needed it since I busted it but it was great to learn the slopes angles...and pucker power always comes into play.

Around the pond... Up and down, not back and forth. You may have to back down cutting...becareful if the grass is damp tractors in 4 wheel drive do slide.

 

[aloha]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Can anyone help me find out what the tilt limit degree is on my tractor. )</font>

There are too many things you can do that will change your center of gravity for anyone to say how much tilt will be too much. This is something one does not want to learn by trial and error. I think we all worry about it, and we probably should.

 

[Junkman]

I rolled a 8000# Minneapolis Moline tractor over on flat ground when the front right wheel fell into a hole and the rear wheels kept pushing the tractor forward. You don't know what pucker power is until you find yourself flying through the air while the tractor is slowing going over on its side and you are not sure if you have been thrown far enough away for it not to land on you. After that experience, i decided that I didn't want a tractor that didn't have a roll bar factory installed. If it were not for the backhoe being firmly secured by the pins that kept it from moving in any direction, I doubt that I would have survived the incident. A tilt meter is only a tool that will help you to learn the lay of the land, but it can also give you false security if there is a obstacle that you hadn't encountered before, such as a hole in the ground or a tree stump that you hadn't seen. That is why the seat belt and the ROPS are the two most important items on the tractor, no matter what color you operate..